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Sunday, October 01, 2000

From 1994 through 1996, Chan Gailey and Dick LeBeau had offices across the hall from each other in Three Rivers Stadium.

Today, they'll be on opposite sides as Gailey, Miami's offensive coordinator, tries to ruin LeBeau's debut as head coach in Cincinnati.

Gailey and LeBeau were offensive and defensive coaches of the Steelers in the mid-1990s, when the team had its greatest success under Coach Bill Cowher.

"We shared some ideas and some thought processes, like what's tough on the offense when the defense does this, or what's tough on the defense when the offense does something. I learned a lot," Gailey said.

LeBeau, at 63, is the oldest rookie head coach since the 1970 NFL merger. When Tom Donahoe was the Steelers' director of football operations, he often wondered why LeBeau never got a shot at a head coaching job.

The zone blitz defense, which has become a standard throughout the NFL, was his baby.

"He's honest," Gailey said. "He's tough. He's smart. He's a competitor."

Facing the music

LeBeau, a Civil War enthusiast, took a general's approach in the locker room. He ordered the boom box shut off, killing the music.

Hey, didn't the Confederates have their fife and drum corps?

He also doesn't want to see them wearing their baseball caps backwards -- his former boss in Pittsburgh often wore his that way in practice -- and banned them from sitting on their helmets.

LeBeau's trying to create a more professional atmosphere.

"There will be plenty of music in there when we win," LeBeau said. "I want us to look like a professional outfit when we're here doing our work."

Rivalry toned down

The old Browns visit the new Browns today, but it doesn't have the same ring to it that last year's game did.

Balimore Ravens Coach Brian Billick hasn't said this time that the league wants Cleveland to win. In fact, Billick has downplayed the rivalry between Art Modell's Ravens and the city he left in his wake.

Also, there are only two Ravens left who played in Cleveland -- defensive end Rob Burnett and kicker Matt Stover.

"The thing that happened as far as us moving, that's just business," Burnett said. "The people have to understand that now. They have their team now. The Browns are back. They have a new stadium and they're improving and they're a better team. There's no hard feelings as far as I'm concerned."

The new stadium in Cleveland also has changed the atmosphere.

"It's a different environment than I remember," Burnett said. "It's a lot newer, a lot cleaner. It's not as crazy. They're still great fans but they were wild when I was there."

Career change

On Monday, Rian Lindell began his first day on the job making $9 an hour for Allied Fastening Supply, a Vancouver, Wash.-based distributor of nails and staples.

On Wednesday, he started a new job kicking for the Seattle Seahawks.

"It's just a different profession to get into," Lindell said.

Quick slants

So much for the all-important turnover ratio. The Titans have won two of three games despite losing six more turnovers than they've gained.

Mike Shanahan has turned over all the play-calling on offense to Gary Kubiak in Denver.

No more Flutie Flakes: Rob Johnson has a passer rating of 100.9 in Buffalo and has 15 touchdowns and three interceptions in his past seven full games.